Combined sealing tab and bookmark



A ril 1, 1952 J. ONEILL COMBINED SEALING TAB AND BOOKMARK Filed June 16, 1950 INI ENTOk JAMES @NEILL Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED, STATES PATENT" OFFICE COMBINED SEALING TAB AND BOOKMARK 7 James ONeill, New York, N. Y.

Application June 16, 1950, Serial No. 168,623

6 Claims. (Cl. 281 -42) 1 This invention relates to new and improved r rlieans fer sealing a book or magazine prior to has been found that the proprietors of book stores and the like suffer substantial financial losses due to the handling and thumbing throughi of books and magazines by' prospective buyers thereof. The thumbed through bodks' soon become do s-area and otl'ier wise' damaged and be sold at reamed price, causing a financial loss to the roprietor of the-store.

F It hasfibeen proposed to" cure this condition by sealing the books o'r magazines each in a transparent cover;- and also by other mean's All knqwnipproposed sures for the sandman have ben-fouhdunsatisfactory, however; in" that they proved tob woaxpersive; or so obscured the jacket (if the book that" prospective; bu ers could not;."satisfactorily read the? printed matter thereon.

One object of'the invention'is the" provision? of simple and inexpensive means for seal g books andthe like prior to their purchase, which m e'a'n's obscure no part of the jacket of the book.

Another object of theinvention is to construct said sealing means so that the same can readily beremoved when the book has been purchased.

A further object of the invention is to construct said sealing. means so that the same is adapted to be used as a book mark when its sealing function has been completed.

Still another object of the invention is to construct said means so that the same may have advertising matter printed thereon.

For further comprehension of the invention,

and of the objects and advantages thereof, refer ence .willbe' had to the, following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended .claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a paper covered book sealed by the means of the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of said book with the seal broken and the front cover folded open.

Fig.3 is a frontal view of the book and illustrates the use of the said means as a book mark.

Fig. 4 is a'view of one face of the sealing means.

Fig. dis a View .of the other face of the sealing means and showsalso the means. for anchoring the'same in placeto act as a book mark.

Fig. '6 is a frontalview of the book wlth the front cover; folded; open, and illustrates 1 a modi :a front cover ll.

-fiedconnectionbetween the sealing means and? the anchoring means.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified formof the invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another modifiedform of the invention.

The book sealing means, according to the first form" of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 5, as applied to a pap-er covered book l0, having I The sealing means includes a member l2 preferably of paper or cellophane or the like. Member i2 is in the form of 'a strip having on either side thereof a short tab l3 and is provided on the one face thereof with an adheusive coating l4. Between the strip. portion of member l2 and each tab l3 there is provided a scored line l5 by whichnthe member is readily separated fro nthe tabs. The center strip of member .l2 is providedwith a slot or hole 16 between the tabs VI 3 and a short distance from the longitudinal center of said strip. A length of string I1. is passed through the hole 16 and ex tended along the adhsivlycoated side of the center strip of .member [2 between the tabs 13. The purpose of string I1 will be explained hereinafter.

As can be seen in Fig. 1, the stripportion of member 12 is folded back on itself about the string H, the two halves being secured together by the adhesive coating Hi. When so folded the said center strip terminates at one end coincidentally with. one end of the tabs, 13 and at the: other end projects somewhat beyond said tabs: to form. a finger piece or tab .lfl.

In order to seal the book It the strip lZ is: placed against the free ends of the pages of the: book and'the tabs iii are secured by their adhe-- sive coating oneto the inner face of the front cover ll of thebook and the other to the inner face of the rear cover'of-the book. Thus the covers of the book aresecured together,weffec-- tivelysealing the book without covering any part, of. the outer faces of the covers thereof.

To unsealthe book all thatlis required is to grasp the finger piece i8 and tear the strip l2 free of thefl tabs l3 along the scored lines 15, leaving saidtabs. l3 secured to the inner faces of the covers of the book.

The string I! which, as mentioned above, is secured. to the strip i2, has for its purpose to combine with said strip when the latter is detached from tabs L! to form a book mark. To this end-the other end of the string I1 is secured in a fold 2| of. a patch 22 havingan adhesive substance. 23 on one] face thereof; "as shown in Fig. 5. The patch 22 preferably is of the same material as strip member l2 and is secured by its adhesive coating 23 to the upper left-hand corner of the first page 24 of the book 10. When the strip I2 is engaged with the tabs l3, and the book is sealed, the string ll extends from the said strip between the front cover I! and the first page 24 of the book to the anchor patch 22. When the strip 12 is disengaged from the tabs l3, it and the string I! combine to form a book mark as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

It i to be mentioned at this point that when the means of the invention is applied to cloth bound books the patch 22 preferably is secured in the backing of the binding rather than on the first page thereof. Otherwise, the means of the invention is applied to such books in the same manner as described above.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein like parts are given the same reference numerals as hereinabove with a prime added. In this form of the invention the string I1 is replaced by a length of tape 25 on which may be printed advertising matter. In all other respects this form of the invention is as described above.

It is generally the practice to provide new cloth bound books with a paper jacket on which a scene or the like illustrative of the contents of the book is printed. In suchinstance it is desired that the sealing means engage the paper jacket rather than the covers of the book. To this end a modified form of the invention is illustrated in Fig. '7. Referring to said figure the referencenumeral 23 indicates a paper jacket for a cloth bound book,. said jacket being pro vided with a pair of flaps 21 which are folded between the covers and the pages of the book to secure the jacket on the book. According to the invention a sealing flap 28 is formed on one of the flap 21 at the juncture thereof with the main portion of jacket 26, preferably by stamping. The flap 28 comprises a longitudinal strip 30 having a tab 3| at one end thereof and a tab 32 on the one side thereof, said tab 32 extending from the base of the tab 3| to the opposite end of the strip. Scored lines 33 are provided on either side of strip 33, that is, between the strip and the tab 32 and between the strip and the main portion of flap 21. The outer face of the tab 32 is provided with an adhesive coating 34 whereby the same may be secured to the opposite fiap 21 to seal the book- It will be seen that to seal a book on which the jacket 26 is located, all that is required is 'to place the strip 30 against the free edges of the 4 precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a combined book mark and seal for a book having front and rear covers and a plurality of pages therebetween, a paper jacket adapted to be engaged about the outer faces of the covers with flaps folded inside each of the covers, a patch secured to the inner face of said jacket at the back thereof, a string secured at one end to said patch, a sealing member forme don one of said flaps at the fold line thereof, said sealing member including a longitudinal strip to which said string is secured, a tab on the end of Said strip, a tab on the side of said strip, scored lines on either side of the strip, and an adhesive coating on the outer face of said latter tab for securing the same to the other flap, whereby said first tab and said strip can be torn free of said flaps along said scored lines, the string and the strip then forming a book mark.

2. In a combined book mark and seal for a book having front and rear covers, a jacket adapted to be engaged about the outer faces of the covers, flaps on the ends of the jacketat the free edges of the covers adapted to be folded to extend along the inner face of the covers, an elongated strip integral along one longitudinal edge with one of said flaps at the fold line thereof, a score line extended along the said one longitudinal edge, a string secured at one end to book having front and rear covers, a jacket to a length of string, tape or ribbon 35 which,

the book and over the back of the book to its anchor.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the adapted to be engaged about the outer faces of the covers, flaps on the ends of the jacket at the free edges of the covers adapted to be folded to extend along the inner faces of the covers, an elongated strip integral along one longitudinal edge with one of said flaps at the fold line thereof, a score line extended along the said one longitudinal edge, a string secured at one end to the inner face of said jacket remote from said flaps and secured at its other end to said strip, a tab along the other longitudinal edge of said strip, a score line separating said tab from said strip, adhesive on the outer face of said tab for securing said tab to the other flap-of said jacket,

and means for gripping said strip to tear it free along said score lines freeing said flaps and leaving said strip and string free to be used as a book mark. 1

4. In a combined book mark and seal for a book having front and rear covers, a jacket adapted to be engaged about the outer faces of I the covers, flaps on the ends of the jacket at the free edges of the covers adapted to be folded to extend along the inner faces of the covers, an elongated strip integral along one longitudinal edge with one of said flaps at the fold line thereof,-a score line extended along the said one longitudinal'edge, a string secured at one end to the inner face of said jacket remote from said flaps and secured at its other end to said strip, a tab along the other longitudinal edge of said strip, a score line separating said tab from said strip, adhesive on the outer face of said tab for securing said tab to the other flap of said jacket, and means for gripping said strip to tear it free along said score lines freeing said flaps and leaving said strip and string free to be used as a book mark, said means for gripping comprising a tab extending from one end of said strip.

5. In a combined book mark and seal for a book having front and rear covers, a jacket adapted to be engaged about the outer faces of the covers of the book, flaps on the ends of the jacket at the free edges of the covers adapted to be folded to extend along the inner faces of the covers, an elongated strip integral along one longitudinal edge with one of said flaps at the fold line thereof, a string secured at one end to the inner face of said jacket remote from said iiaps and secured at its other end to said strip, a tab along the other longitudinal edge of said strip, adhesive on the oute face of said tab for securing said tab to the other flap of said jacket, and means facilitating tearing said strip free from the said one flap and said tab freeing the flaps of the jacket and leaving said strip and string free to be used as a book mark.

6. In a combined book mark and seal for a book having front and rear covers, a jacket adapted to be engaged about the outer faces of the covers of the book, flaps on the ends of the jacket at the free edges of the covers adapted to be folded to extend along the inner faces of the covers, an elongated strip integral along one longitudinal edge with one of said flaps at the fold line thereof, a string secured at one end to the inner face of said jacket remote from said flaps and secured at its other end to said strip, a tab along the other longitudinal edge of said strip, adhesive on the outer face of said tab for securing said tab to the other flap of said jacket, and means facilitating tearing said strip free from the said one flap and said tab freeing the flaps of the jacket and leaving said strip and string free to be used as a book mark, said means facilitating tearing comprising a score line extended along the said one longitudinal edge of said strip, a second score line separating said strip from said flap, and a second tab extending from one end of said strip by which said strip can be gripped to be torn along said score lines.

JAMES O'NEILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

